Worshiping with
People
I Disagree With
How can I go to a church that
- uses a piano, or
- calls the preacher pastor, or
- allows women to lead the
congregation in prayer?
One man
considers one day more sacred than another
The apostle Paul was not one who required that everyone agree with him. He
encouraged the Romans in
chapter 14 to tolerate and be patient with those they disagreed with.
This passage is often misinterpreted to mean one can
worship with those who bind things that are not bound in the Bible, but one
cannot worship with those who do not bind things that have been bound in the
Bible. For example I have heard it said that if Sally believes it is a sin
for a woman to pray without a headcovering (I Cor. 11), then Carol who
thinks it is not a sin, can still worship with her. However Sally cannot
worship with Carol. I call this "one way fellowship." You can worship with
those more legalistic, but not with those more liberal. And the more legalistic cannot
worship with you. This makes the passage meaningless.
The apostle Paul was adamant that those who esteemed one day as holier than
another and those who esteemed all days alike had to equally tolerate each
other as fellow citizens in God's kingdom (Romans 14).
In another passage Paul is clear that the Sabbath Day is no longer binding (Colossians
2). Yet Paul refuses to allow that doctrine to split up those who
believe in Jesus. If someone is wrong and feels the Sabbath Day is important
to keep, then don't condemn that person. And the person who keeps the
Sabbath cannot condemn the person who does not keep the Sabbath. The
application today would be: If someone believes that one has to take
communion every Sunday, they should not condemn those who do not believe one
has to take communion every Sunday. One person is wrong and the other is
right, but they both stand before the Lord, because God forgives them both
of their shortcomings.
The apostle Paul becomes eloquent when he tells the Romans that there is
something so much bigger than dividing over what we can eat and what day we
worship on:
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and
drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because
anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Once we let go of making everyone agree, and focus on the fact that we are
fellow believers that God sent His Son to earth to die for, then we can
tolerate much greater differences.
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For the kingdom of God is not a
matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God
and approved by men.
I have heard it said that if Sally
believes it is a sin for a woman to pray without a headcovering (I Cor. 11),
then Carol who thinks it is not a sin, can still worship with her. However
Sally cannot worship with Carol.
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